FABBS Foundation President Morton Ann Gernsbacher, PhD (Vilas Research Professor & Sir Frederic Bartlett Professor, University of Wisconsin-Madison), offers an introduction to what National Lab Day is and how you can get involved.

The FABBS Foundation is participating in the first annual National Lab Day, a grassroots program aimed at K-12 students that aims to inspire future scientists and innovators by providing hands-on learning experiences. John Holdren, President Obama’s science advisor, explains the importance of this program as helping to “cultivate the next generation of doers and makers.”

Watch this video of President Obama and his science advisor promoting this project.

This year, National Lab Day will occur on or near May 12, although the hope is that the spirit of National Lab Day will go beyond a single day and create communities for further science learning opportunities. Specific activities do not have to occur on May 12, but encouraged throughout the year.

We encourage behavioral, brain, and mind scientists to host a hands-on learning activity (a “show and tell”) either in the researcher’s own lab or in a neighborhood K-12 classroom. Most likely scientists are already doing this through less formal mechanisms. Once you have signed-up with National Lab Day, you may be contacted by teachers in your community, or you can browse this website and find good matches yourself. A complete list of projects to browse can be found by clicking “PROJECTS” at the top of this page. All researchers who register might not be paired with a teacher in their community; it depends on the needs of the classrooms in our area. Please help us get kids excited about the mind, brain and sciences by hosting an activity through this site.

To register as a volunteer, please click on the “Scientists & Techies” button on the right side of this page; then enter your contact information and how you would like to help with this effort. Under “Professional Organizations,” please mark FABBS Foundation along with any other organizations with which you are affiliated. (Hold the control button when selecting multiple organizations.)

Important Note: When registering you will see a place to indicate your “Areas of Expertise;” select “Behavioral and Social Sciences.” If that area has not yet been added to the website it will be coming soon. In this case, please click on “Other” and write in the box, “Behavioral and Social Sciences.”